Battery electric, extended-range electric, and hybrid electric vehicles use an electric traction motor to deliver torque to a transmission input member in what is commonly referred to as an electric vehicle (EV) mode. Electrical energy required for powering the traction motor is typically stored in a DC battery pack. A high-voltage direct current (HVDC) bus connects the battery pack to other high-voltage electrical components. Discharge of the HVDC bus is required at certain times. For instance, in some vehicles the HVDC bus must be discharged to a threshold safe state, e.g., below 60 VDC, within a calibrated duration of a key-off event, or when high-voltage contactors connecting a battery to the HVDC bus are opened. Conventional approaches for discharging an HVDC bus may be less than optimal in terms of component and/or energy costs.